


Perceptions

by DanieXJ



Series: Lion and Mouse [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-20
Updated: 2012-02-20
Packaged: 2017-11-20 20:34:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/589373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanieXJ/pseuds/DanieXJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Rumpelstiltskin out of the way, Regina and Emma have new troubles of a much more mortal cause or maybe not so mortal . Sequel to Enchanted Hits and The Lion and the Mouse. Takes place a bit after those two stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

“Please don’t Mom. Please, please... Emma’ll be okay, everything will work out, I promise. Pleeesse Mom.”

Phelan took deep breaths and was happy that her hand didn’t waver. “Listen to your son Mayor.”

Regina whirled and Phelan only barely didn’t take a step back at the look in the Mayor’s eyes. “You DARE?”

Phelan swallowed, but didn’t move the gun from where it was pointing. Honestly she was petrified that Henry was going to jump in front of his Mom at some point. He tended to leap before he looked.

Regina meanwhile may have been wearing a pant suit, but there was nothing earthly about her. Her eyes were the same color they always had been, but her hair seemed to be blacker than a black hole and the energy around the Mayor made Phelan’s hair stand on end. “Look Mayor, the Doc said that there was a chance. If you destroy the world, then there’s no chance...”

“Mom.”

Regina turned back to Henry and looked down at him, “I’m sorry Henry, but... I’m evil remember, and...”

Henry yelled, “No...” and dove for his mother.


	2. Chapter One

“Stop this. Now Emma, before you, you get so hurt again. She pushed you against a wall, broke your ribs, she has threatened you so many times it’s not funny. What are you thinking?”

Emma took a bite of her donut to give herself time to answer. “You’ve asked me that dozens of times now. I’ll answer as I have the previous times. You should know better than anyone. Thinking has very little to do with love.” Emma paused, and with a look back at the counter of Granny’s picked up her dining knife and stuck it in her cast, making a relieved face as she itched the itch that had been driving her crazy for nearly all of Mary Margaret’s lecture.

Mary Margaret took the knife from her hand. “You’re not listening to me.”

Emma smiled, “Got it in one.” and stood, taking one last gulp of her coffee. “I’m not some wide eyed doe. I’ve gotten worse than broken ribs and a broken wrist, though, Gold did that.” Emma led the way out of Granny’s, “I won’t take anymore crap from her. But, she won’t throw anymore crap at me either.” Emma paused and gave Mary Margaret a look, “I know exactly who Regina Mills is, do you?”

“Emma.”

Emma smiled as Regina joined them in front of Granny’s, “Regina. Coffee break?”

Mary Margaret frowned as Regina actually smiled back, “Just preparing for our budget meeting that starts in five minutes, and that you’re about to be late for.”

Emma swore under her breath, “Right, right, I knew that.”

Mary Margaret’s frown deepened as Regina chuckled and put her hands on Emma’s arm just above the blonde woman’s cast for a moment, “I can stall for five minutes, but anything after that. You’re flying solo Sheriff.”

“Gotcha--” She moved so fast that Mary Margaret barely caught it as Emma kissed Regina on the lips and then jogged across the street, back towards the town offices.

Mary Margaret stared through Regina and didn’t move from the doorway of Granny’s. “What’s your game?”

Regina shook her head, “I have no game Miss Blanchard. Now if you would--”

Mary Margaret poked the dark haired woman in the chest, “You’re messing with her head, just like Sidney and, Henry and Graham, and every other person you’ve ever pretended to love for your own gain. I don’t know why Emma yet, but, she’s my friend, I won’t let it happen.”

“She’s your daughter, and you have no choice Miss Blanchard.” Regina stepped into Mary Margaret’s personal space. “If you try and ruin this, you will regret that day immensely.”

Mary Margaret didn’t blink or flinch, “I’m not scared of you.”

Regina’s voice got quieter, “You should be.”

Mary Margaret shook her head, “I’m not scared of death either Regina.”

Regina’s gaze never wavered, “There are things worse than death my dear,” and she pushed by Mary Margaret.

oOOOOo

Phelan pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the young man in front of her desk, “Henry. Why are you staring at me?”

Henry made a face, “What are you?”

“I thought that it was obvious?”

Henry flopped down in one of the visitor’s chairs. “Whatever, you don’t have to tell me. I mean, people are sorta realizing that there’s more to Storybrooke than they thought now, so if you’re worried I’ll...”

Phelan held in a sigh and answered Henry’s question, “I’m a Bzou.” Henry frowned, “It’s a Werewolf. What the French call them I think, us...”

“Oh. Thank you Phelan.”

Phelan folder her hands in front of her and leaned forward a bit, “So, how are things going with your Mom? Should I say Moms?” Henry made a face that Phelan chuckled at, “Okay, then, we’ll just stick with you Mom. Are you two getting along better?”

Henry shrugged, “I guess. She lets me see Emma now, and then sometimes they go out and I stay with Granny, or you and Ruby. You have to make a report?”

“I do. So?”

Henry put a half a grin on his face, “Didn’t I already answer it?”

“Henry...”

Henry hurfed and bit his lip for a moment, “I guess that she’s not really evil. I mean, we had mac and cheese the other night, and Emma wasn’t there, and it wasn’t Saturday or my birthday or anything. But, I mean, she still won’t let me stay out late, and I have to go to bed and most of the time we have lotsa veggies and all sorts of healthy stuff. Is that better?”

Phelan smiled, “Your answer is your answer Henry. But yeah, that’s what I wanted to know.”

“Why don’t you go ask her?” Henry frowned and crossed his own arms over his chest.

Phelan shook her head, “Did you know that when you do that, give me that stare, it’s the exact same one as hers?”

Henry blinked in surprise, that was not what he had expected Phelan to say. “You’re just pulling my chain.”

“I’m pretty sure that there’s some social worker rule that says that she can’t Henry.”

Henry turned, “Ruby. Oh wow...”

“I conquer with the young man’s assessment. Wow.” 

Phelan got a whack on the shoulder and a kiss, then Henry got a smile.

“You look really good in green, you should wear it every day.”

Phelan nodded, this time staying silent.

Ruby just rolled her eyes, “I do have clothes in my closet that aren’t red you know. You two... So, almost done?”

Phelan gave a nod, “Just, yep. So, remember Henry...”

Henry sprang up and rolled his eyes, “You’re here no matter what, blah, blah, blah... I know, you’ve said it a wicked lot of times. I get it.”

Phelan smiled as Henry left, then turned to Ruby. “You do look divine in that dress, it hugs you in all the right places.”

Ruby sat in Phelan’s lap with an oof from Phelan, “Oh, don’t even, I’ve seen you jump over... and it is not the dress.” Ruby kissed Phelan, “I’m happy.”

“How happy?”

Ruby smirked, “Oh, very, very happy, would you like a demonstration?”

oOOOOo

There was a crash, and an alarm started wailing. The one who had caused all the commotion didn’t seem to notice and simply pried the cash register open, took the cash out and left the same way that entrance had been gained. 


	3. Chapter Two

“You will...”

Emma held both her hands up and finished Regina’s sentence, “Find who did this, yes I will Regina.”

Regina leaned against the counter in Granny’s, it was just she and Emma in there. Emma put her arm around the Mayor’s waist and pulled her closer, it was not yet spring outside and they were still waiting for Leroy and Walter to bring some wood so that they could repair the window. “You know that you didn’t have to come with me tonight?”

“Where else would I be?”

Emma looked over at Regina, “At home with your son? It’s the middle of the night. I’m the Sheriff, I have to be here, you’re the Mayor, you definitely don’t.”

“Ah.. well...” Regina shook her head and glanced over at Emma, “Why am I dithering. It’s not like you don’t know nearly everything that’s bad about me. I’m not here for you. Granny, in Happily Ever After, Fairy Tale Land, whatever you want to call it. Granny was on the War Council.”

Emma put her head back and laughed and laughed. “Sorry. I just...”

“Are laughing at me.”

Emma took a couple of deep breaths, then moved so that she was between the open window and Regina. “At the situation. You do realize that they were most likely trying to kill you.”

Regina waved a finger, “Not according to the saint.” 

Emma rolled her eyes, “You’d be referring to Mary M there?”

Regina smiled, but just a little. “While we’re freezing our nether regions off...”

“We could warm them up...”

Regina narrowed her eyes at Emma, “You’re doing enough damage to my reputation Emma not running away from me, if Granny walked in on us, or Leroy and Walter, well, that wouldn’t be good. I have a serious question for you.”

Emma stole a kiss, “Okay, go.” She rubbed up and down Regina’s arms. “Well...”

Regina cleared her throat, “You’re distracting, are you aware of that?”

Emma ran a hand down Regina’s neck, and then down her side, “Your question?”

Regina cleared her throat and used all her evil queen-ness to concentrate as Emma replaced her hand with her lips. “Why have you never called me Reggie, or Gina, or... or, ah... ahh... Ginny.” Regina sighed, “Reg... ah, or, ah, Gin.”

Emma stopped, “Gin?”

They were interrupted by the stomp of Leroy’s boots. “Are you going to help Emma, or just seduce the Mayor. Some of us have to sleep.”

Emma bit her lip to keep the laugh in, and Regina rolled her eyes, gave Emma a quick kiss and was back in Mayor mode, ordering Walter and Leroy around.

Emma watched her. She was in her element. Others could say that maybe her motives weren’t always the best, actually, so far they’d mostly been the worst motives, she’d always been preoccupied with herself, but, she wasn’t just a good leader, she was an outstanding one.

Regina saw Emma staring at her and gave the blonde her best Evil Queen stare. “What?”

Emma shook her head, “Nothing, I just...” Emma moved closer to Regina so that only the Mayor could hear her, “You could be a great Queen. If the curse...”

Regina looked down at her hands for a moment, then back up at Emma, “No. No, if the curse gets broken and if by some miracle I’m not dead, it will be David and Mary Margaret who lead Happily Ever After.”

“Maybe.”

“Emma Swan. I don’t like that look.”

“You...” Emma nodded, “You were looking for something for all of us to do together. The three of us, something that’s not Hockey. Teach us how to fight with swords.”

Regina let go a bark of a laugh, “Oh, yes, that’s oh so much better, a long sharp blade that can kill Henry.”

“Welll...” Emma took another step towards Regina, “Technically, with Hockey there are two short sharp blades that could kill Henry, that’s an improvement.”

“How do you know that I even know how to fight?”

Emma rolled her eyes, “Riigght... so?”

Regina held Emma’s gaze for a long moment before responding, “I’ll think about it. Walter, you’re going to break the rest of the window all over yourself. Emma, you take the other side, Leroy...”

“...I’m gonna do what I’m doing right now Madam Mayor.”

Regina inclined her head towards the grumpy man, even she wasn’t gutsy enough to mess with Leroy after getting him up in the middle of the night. “Of course.”


	4. Chapter Three

Henry walked by Granny’s, on his way to school, and stopped in his tracks. “Whoa--”

“It is quite the sight, isn’t it young Henry.”

Henry glanced over at the speaker, “Yeah, it totally is Gulliver. What happened?”

Gulliver was a large man, almost linebacker like, nearly bald, with a round face and he was always impeccably dressed. Even on the hottest summer days he wore a suit and tie. Most often a tan suit, “I don’t know young man.” He leanded down next to Henry and spoke softly, “But, you have the inside track on the investigation I would presume. So, you hear anything, will you tell me young man?”

Henry nodded, distractedly, and kept staring at the wood where there should have been glass. “Yeah, okay. Bye Gulliver.” He pulled his gaze from the window, gave the man a half a smile and continued towards his school.

oOOOOo

Emma looked up from her desk. She was alone in the Sheriff’s office. There was no one in Storybrooke to be her Deputy, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to find someone from outside of the town. So it was just her. “Woolf, how can I help you?”

“Ask me the questions.”

“Questions?”

Phelan held her arms open for a second, then dropped into Emma’s visitor chair. “You may not have any, but I, well, Ruby, took a listen this morning to the grapevine, and it thinks that I did it.”

Emma went back to her paperwork, “You didn’t.”

“How do you know?”

Emma didn’t look up, “Because Ruby would kick your butt.”

“Still--”

Emma put down her pen a bit more forcefully than she had to and looked up, “Where were you last night? Granny’s alarm went off at three am.”

“Asleep.”

“Who can vouch for that?””

Phelan shook her head, “No one. Ruby was asleep next to me, but--”

Emma finished her sentence, “--you were both asleep by then. Where you at your house or--”

“Ah--”

That got Emma’s attention, “Oh?”

Phelan blew out a breath. “I was at Granny’s Inn, in Ruby’s room. We had been packing Ruby’s things, and that turned to-- ah, anyway, we fell asleep.”

Emma leaned back in the desk chair, “That’s an ah--”

There was a knock on the door frame. Emma looked up and Phelan turned in her seat, “Granny?”

Granny paid little attention to Phelan and spoke to Emma, “Phelan snores and was snoring last night at about three, or perhaps five after.”

“Um, thank you Granny, is there--” But Emma was talking to air. “Alright then. Woolf, you’ve been alibied. Now, if you’d let me finish these reports, then I can get back to trying to find out who actually did break the glass.”

oOOOOo

“Mr. Mills.”

Henry blinked and looked up at the board. In front of it stood an imposing woman. She had curly, bordering on frizzy, and no one had been able to tell if it was blonde or white. She also wore purple, a lot of purple, and never seemed to wear pants, just skirts. “Ah--”

The class tittered and their teacher shot every student a look that shut them up fast. “Alright everyone. Open your textbooks to page fifty one and do problems four through ten. Mr. Mills, a moment.”

Henry slowly walked to the side of the room and took a seat in the chair next to Mrs. Malifin’s desk, “I’m sorry Mrs. Malifin.”

Mrs. Malifin folded her hands on her lap, “Young man. I’ve talked to Miss Blanchard and she is of the opinion that you are quite bright.” Her face barely showed any emotion, that was what frightened most students who had her most. “I disagree. I also believe that you are not giving your math class the same effort you give the rest of your studies with Miss Blanchard. You will be more attentive and answer at least one question a class. Are we on the same page Mr. Mills?”

Henry quickly nodded, “Yes Mrs. Malifin, I’ll try harder.”

Mrs. Malifin turned to her desk for a moment and wrote, then turned back to Henry and handed him an enveope, “Our next class is in two days. I want this signed by your mother.” She pointed a slightly spindily finger at Henry, “And don’t think that you can get cute, I mean the Mayor, not the Sheriff.”

Henry took the envelope and nodded again, “Yes Mrs. Malifin. I will.”

Mrs. Malifin turned away, “Good. Join the class and start the problems. We don’t have much more time before you all have to go back to your-- general studies teachers.”

oOOOOo

“Emma--”

Emma had just slipped on her jacket and badge, “Regina, wanna come with me. Scare the truth out of your constituents?”

“Ah. No. Have you seen Henry?”

Emma groaned as she and Regina stepped outside into the light. “You’ve looked at his castle?”

“No.”

Regina cleared her throat, “I-- things are going well for the first time in what feels like forever.”

Emma put an arm through Regina’s arm, “He loves you Regina, and you’re his mother, go, go...”

“I have work to--”

Emma rolled her eyes, “Well, I do too-- and you work too hard anyway, for a construct of the mind, this place has way too much paperwork.” Regina smiled, “Hey, a smile, I was going for a laugh, but I’ll take it.”

Regina shot back, “If I smile everyone will get out their pitchforks.”

Emma put the back of her hand against her forehead, “Ah, dear me, a joke and smile in the span of a few seconds, I’m feeling faint.”

Regina shook her head and tried to pull away, but Emma wouldn’t let her arm go. “Emma--”

“Just a quick kiss.”

Regina stared at Emma for a half a minute, then forcefully pulled her arm away and stalked to where Henry’s castle was.

Emma made a face, “Good one Em-- push her too far. Damn.”

oOOOOo

“Wow, this is a--”

It was a baby faced young man who stood in the doorway. “If you say sty...”

Emma didn’t respond to that, “May I come in?”

The young man took a step to the side, “Sure, sure...”

Emma stopped in and looked around the room. It didn’t look like he had gotten a recent influx of cash. “I just have one question.”

He rolled his eyes, “Uh huh, your type never has just one question, but, go ahead.”

“Did you break into Granny’s and steal from her register?”

“No.. not that you’ll believe me since I have a record.”

Emma’s head canted to the side, “Are you telling the truth?”

The young man stared straight at Emma, “I did not break into Granny, she’s been good to me. I wouldn’t.”

Emma nodded and was about to speak when her phone rang. She answered, “Swan, what is it?” She put a hand to her head, “Did Archie try the GPS collar we put on the damn thing the last time he went on walkabout?”

Emma let out another sigh, “Of course he slipped the collar. No, no, I’ll be right there. We’ll find Archie’s dog, again.” She turned to the young man, “You’re off the hook, for now.”

oOOOOo

Henry stared back at the town. Then down at the envelope.

“Get down here Henry, that, that thing is a hazard.”

Henry stuffed the envelope in his book bag, but didn’t move from where he was. “It’s fine.”

“Are you going to make me come up there?”

Henry stared down at his Mom, meeting her fiery gaze with his own. “Yes.”

That seemed to make Regina pause and blink, and her face softened a little, “May I come up there?” She got a shrug and decided that was the most of an invitation she would get.

She gingerly climbed up onto the platform that Henry was on and sat down with absolutely no grace, nearly falling off and into the sand and looking quite like a goose trying to land on a pond. Henry bit his lip, but a laugh came out anyway.

“Oh, you thought that was funny? You shouldn’t laugh at the old lady young man.”

Henry made a pfffttt sound, “You’re not old. Not even too much older than Emma. I saw your license.” He paused, “Mom-- would you not call me young man anymore?”

That caused a frown to appear on Regina’s face, “Why?” Henry shrugged, “I don’t do it to be mean Henry, sometimes you seem older than you are, a young man.”

“I know. It’s just... Mrs. Malifin calls me that, and not nice or anything like you do. She says it like I’m a bug or something.”

“Oh--”

Henry looked over at his Mom, “Who is she Mom?”

Regina shook her head, “No, she’s your teacher Henry, and you need to listen to her.”

“I know-- but...”

Regina shook her head, “Not this time yo-- Henry.” Regina’s eyes went to Henry’s bag, “What’s in the envelope?”

“Nothin’. Why do you love Emma?”

“Not, do I love Emma.”

Another shrug, “You’ve never really lied to me. I mean, there was the whole, Happily Ever After, Dark Curse thing, but you know, that’s more like a Superman lie than a I stole your money lie. So, why do you love her?”

“Hmmm...” Regina was silent for a long time. Then before she could answer mother and son watched as Emma sprinted after a Dalmatian. “She’s everything I’m not, even though she’s had just a hard, if not harder life than I have.”

Henry frowned as Emma caught up with the dog, but then the Dalmatian somehow managed to squirt free and Emma wound up face first on the ground, though she didn’t stay down for long and was up and running after the black and white dog after a second, “Are you going to hurt her?”

“I don’t think so Henry. I hope not. I’m trying not to.”

Henry sighed, “Sorry.”

Regina put an arm around Henry’s shoulders, “It’s okay. I’ll tell you a secret, I’m a little worried too. So, maybe you can help me sometimes. Tell me when I’m being--”

“--stupid?”

Regina ruffled Henry’s hair, “Yes. Like, before I found you here all Emma wanted to do was give me a little kiss--”

Henry turned to face his Mom, “Outside? Don’t worry, everyone will still be scared of you Mom, everyone thinks that you killed Graham-- you should kiss her if you want to kiss her.” He focused again on Emma, who was walking back towards town with the leash of Archie’s dog in her hand and was quite covered with mud. “Um... maybe not right now though Mom...”

Regina raised an eyebrow and they fell silent. It was Regina who finally broke the silence. “The envelope Henry?”

Henry reached into his bag and handed it to her, “You’re supposed to sign it and then I take it back for my next math class.”

Regina held it in her hand, but didn’t open it. “Will you tell me what it says?”

Henry considered Regina’s question. Finally answer. “That I’m dumb.”

“I doubt that Henry.”

Henry blew out a breath. “Mrs. Malifin hates me and said that I was stupid and that Mary Margaret was lying when she called me bright.”

Regina bristled and opened the envelope. She sat perfectly still as she read the note, then crumpled it in her hand. “That-- that woman.”

Henry frowned, “Mom?”

Regina shook herself out of the past and tried to shake off the anger that was coursing through her, “Sorry Henry. Are you having trouble in math?” He gave Regina a shallow nod, “Henry, I know you don’t believe me, but you can tell me anything. Did you know that I’m pretty good at math?”

“Really?”

Regina gave him a gentle shove, “I’m going to pretend that you didn’t sound so surprised just then. And, yes. How many years have I been doing Storybrooke’s budgets?”

“Twenty eight or so I think, right. So, you’re really good?”

“I am. How about I help you tonight.”

Henry nodded, “Um, are you going to sign the letter?”

“No, no, I’m going to have a-- talk with your math teacher.”


	5. Chapter Four

Emma poked her head in the unlocked door of Regina’s house, “Ah, hello?”

She heard Henry hurf from the direction of the kitchen, “But Mom, that makes no sense.”

Emma entered, locking the door behind her. Hung up her coat and entered the kitchen.

Neither mother or son looked happy. Regina looked up at the Sheriff, “Have you found the thief yet?”

“No-- what’s--”

Regina pushed her chair back and stood, “Nothing. If you two want dinner, make it yourself.”

Emma pursed her lips and looked down at Henry’s homework. “Ooh-- math-- I was always bad at math. Was your Mom helping you?”

“Trying.” He pushed his chair back with a sigh, “But I just don’t get it.” He whipped his arm over the table and all the papers and the book flew across the room crashing into the wall. He stalked out of the room, leaving Emma alone in the kitchen.

oOOOOo

Regina stared out of her bedroom window. But after a few moments she swished the curtains closed. Everything was wrong. She was supposed to be making everyone in her town miserable, not being the one being made miserable.

She’d known the moment that the words were out of her mouth to her son, and then to Emma, she’d known that she’d said the wrong things, that she shouldn’t have stormed out too.

Regina wasn’t sure how long she’d sat on the edge of her bed before there was a tentative knock on her door. She knew it wouldn’t be Emma, she’d be back at Mary Margaret’s, grousing about how Regina really was a bitch. “Come in Henry.”

Henry poked his head in, “Mom?”

Regina opened her arms, “Henry.”

Henry came in, “Are you still angry?” He sat down next to Regina on the bed, “I’m not doing it on purpose.”

“I know. So, your teacher won’t be a help...”

“We could try again Mom--”

Regina shook her head, “No, I think that would be an equally bad idea. Emma?”

Henry made a face, then pseudo whispered to Regina, “I think she’s worse than I am.”

“Hmm--” Regina sniffed the air, “Do you smell something burning?”

Henry sniffed too, “Oh--”

Both mother and son got off the bed and quickly made their way to the kitchen.

Emma was at the stove and turned a bit when Regina spoke, “What’s burning?”

“Cooking, cooking, no burning. I was hungry.”

Even as Henry entered the kitchen to peer around Emma at the stove Regina still stood in the doorway. “What are you making Emma?”

“My specialty, red sauce. Do you guys have spagetti?”

Henry shrugged, “I don’t know, Mom?”

They both looked back at Regina and Henry frowned, “Mom?”

Regina hadn’t moved from the door. After another second she shook her head, “We could smell your sauce burning from my bedroom.”

Emma sniffed the air, then put her nose closer to the pot on the stove, “That’s not me--” She snapped the oven off, transferred the pot to another burner and jogged towards the Mayor’s front door, Henry and Regina close on her heels.

They joined what seemed like the rest of the neighborhood outside. It was Emma who saw the flames first, and because she’d made the walk so many times she knew exactly which building was on fire.

“Mary Margaret.” And she wasn’t walking home, but running towards the apartments as if her own butt was on fire.

There were already some people from the building standing outside when Emma got there, but the volunteer fire brigade hadn’t arrived yet, and Emma didn’t see Mary Margaret anywhere. She plunged into the building, flames shooting around her as she saw Regina catch Henry before he could follow her in.

“Mary Margaret, Mary Margaret.... MARY MARGARET!”

The ceiling had collapsed in Mary Margaret’s hall. Emma winced as she scrambled over it, pain had flared in her broken wrist, the cast catching on something and nearly yanking her backwards.

She nearly thanked God out loud when there was nothing in front of Mary Margaret’s door. She kicked it once, twice, and it splintered open on the third try. “Mary Margaret?”

“Emma--”

It had come from the right side of the apartment where the ceiling had caved in too. Emma took a breath and jumped through the wall of fire that was spreading towards the outer wall. She didn’t know how long passed as she ripped at the pile Mary Margaret was under. Finally she saw a shock of dark hair, which made her go faster.

Mary Margaret-- take my hand.”

“Emma, your...”

Emma didn’t listen, and didn’t wait, grabbing Mary Margaret by the collar and pulling with both hands. “We have to go NOW.”

oOOOOo

The volunteer firefighters had arrived. They’d pulled more people out as well as the body of Gardenia Agrabah and were starting to try and put out the fire. And still, there was no sign of Emma or Mary Margaret.

It was all Regina could do to hold Henry back. Of course, if she hadn’t had to do that, she wondered if she’d have been in there trying to find Emma herself.

“Mom-- I see them--”

Both mother and son breathed a sigh of relief as Mary Margaret and Emma, both limping and looked as if they’d gone ten rounds with a twister, stepped out of the fire. Gulliver and Phelan met them and helped them out of the way of the hoses and water.

Gulliver tried to look at Emma’s ruined cast, but Emma gently pushed his hand away. “It’s fine Gulliver. Did you get all the other people out?”

Gulliver inclined his head, “We only lost one, Gardenia. I should--” He looked towards the fire. Phelan had already gone back to fighting it.

Emma nodded, then lay back against the fire engine’s wheel where she’d been deposited by Phelan next to Mary Margaret. Emma sighed. “They won’t win. It’ll take the whole building.” She shook her head, “Everything.”

Henry came running up and threw himself onto Emma, “You’re okay, you’re okay.”

Mary Margaret gave Emma a pointed look, “Not everything.”

Emma closed her eyes and just let herself be hugged by the babbling Henry. That is until he hit her casted hand and she let out a yelp that could have woken the dead.

Regina gently pulled Henry off Emma, “You--” she glanced at Mary Margaret. “Both of you-- should go to the hospital.” Regina touched a gash on Mary Margaret’s head, making the teacher jump, “And you need to make them give you a CT or MRI for that.” She helped Mary Margaret up, then Emma, though she kept a supporting arm around Emma’s waist.

Mary Margaret got Henry to partially lean on. “I still don’t like you, or trust you at all Mayor Mills.”

Regina looked straight ahead as they started towards Mary Margaret’s car. Both Emma’s and Regina’s were back at Regina’s house. “The feeling is still mutual Miss Blanchard.”

oOOOOo

“You offered your spare bedroom to Mary Margaret?”

Phelan shook her head as she wiped her forehead with a cloth, “Not yet. But I will. And, it’s ours Rubes--”

Ruby smiled, but only for a second, before their surroundings caused the smile to disappear. “I can’t believe it. Gardenia.”

Phelan nodded and Ruby’s frown deepened, “Did you find her Woolf?”

Phelan gave another, shallower, nod, “Yeah.”

Ruby kissed Phelan, then squashed her, turnout coat and all, in a crushing hug and neither spoke for a long time. Finally Ruby pulled back just a bit and looked at Phelan, “You wanna go visit Em and Regina, and all that drama?”

“Yeah, but, I need to get out of this getup first, it smells, all I can smell is...”

Ruby kissed Phelan’s temple, and slowly worked her way down to her throat, “No bad thoughts about what saved your life. Have I ever told you about a dream I had, all you had on was your turnout coat...”

Phelan got out a choked laugh, then cleared her throat, once and again. “Home, then hospital.”

Ruby threaded an arm through Phelan’s. “Yes ma’am.”

Phelan cleared her throat again as they came even with Gulliver spraying down the hot spots. “Hey Gull, you sure you don’t mind doing this?”

Gulliver nodded, “I will be fine Woolf. I appreciate the solitude. Good job tonight.”

Phelan gave him a pat on the back, “You too man. And make sure you get some rest.”

oOOOOo

“Henry, what are you doing here?”

Henry made a face and poked at one of the weird anatomical posters on the wall in Mary Margaret’s room. “Mom wants to talk to Emma and... and I think I made Emma mad.”

Mary Margaret moved over a bit on her bed and patted the space next to her. Henry clambered up without any other encouragement. “Tell me about it Henry. Why do you think Emma’s mad at you?”

“Everybody’s all surprised that she could get to you and stuff-- but she did, and so I said that she was like Superman, a Superwoman, and she got a really funny look on her face and shook her head, and then Mom said I should check on you. Is she not happy she saved you?”

Mary Margaret shook her head side to side, though it made her head hurt a bit. She’d gotten a bunch of stitches in her head and a CT, and was just waiting for the results to be read or whatever. “Emma is definitely happy she saved me, but she’s the Sheriff too, and since Gardenia died while Emma was saving me, she doesn’t feel like she did everything she could.”

Henry made a face, “But that doesn’t make sense. Gardenia could have died before or after, not just while Emma was saving you, you know?”

Mary Margaret nodded, “I know, but I think Emma has come to really like Storybrooke and everyone in it, and feels like she should protect everyone, and... so she feels guilty. So, she’s getting all this praise for saving me when someone else’s wife and Mom died and she couldn’t do anything about it. She may know everything that you just said to me, but knowing and feeling are two different things.”

Henry was silent for a moment, “I guess that sorta makes sense. What-- what should I do?”

Mary Margaret shook her head, “Nothing. Just hug her and bug her with all your crazy theories like you usually do.”

Henry was going to go into how they weren’t theories when David knocked on the door frame and walked in. Mary Margaret’s face lit up. David gave Henry a smile, “Hey bud. How’s the patient doing?”

Henry shrugged, “Fine I guess. Bye Mary Margaret.”

Henry walked into the hallway and slumped down into a waiting chair. He was so tired, and adults made no sense at all to him. His eyes slowly drooped and then he was out like a light.

oOOOOo

Somehow Regina and Emma were alone in Emma’s exam room, waiting for the Doc to appear and make her a new cast. She’d re-broken the wrist in her scramble to get to Mary Margaret’s apartment. The firefighters that had come after her couldn’t figure out how she’d gotten over the pile of debris and they hadn’t been able to themselves the space was so small.

Henry had called Emma a Superwoman and that hadn’t made Emma happy. That was when Regina had asked him to check on Mary Margaret for them.

It was Emma who broke the room’s silence eventually. “Before-- everything. When you were standing int he doorway staring at me. What were you going to say?”

Regina shook her head, “It doesn’t matter.”

“Please Regina.”

The Mayor cleared her throat, “I-- you stayed. I was-- Henry has to stay, he’s a minor and doesn’t have money, or, a job, or anything, but you...” Regina shook her head, “You stayed.”

“Regina? Have you met Henry? Are we talking about the same boy here? A little thing like his age, or if he has money, or, anything, do you think that would stop him from running away permanently. He got me and... came back Regina. He’s chosen to stay too--”

Regina stood there, silent and unmoving. Finally she pointed at Emma and made a fist. But after a moment her hand opened and her fingers trailed down Emma’s cheek. “Don’t. This is an order, don’t--- Ever-- do that again Emma. Ever.”

Emma turned her head and kissed Regina’s palm, “I will try not to, but, unless you’re planning on firing me Madam Mayor, I can’t promise anything.”

“Hmmm...”


	6. Chapter Five

“You’ll leave my son alone.”

Mrs. Malifin blinked in surprise and looked up from her desk. The school day wasn’t set to begin for a half an hour. She stood. “Like you obviously have?”

Regina didn’t totally rise to the bait, simply put her hands on her hips and took a step towards Mrs. Malifin, “He’s at home with the Sheriff. All of which is none of your business.”

Mrs. Malifin cocked her head, “Oh, you think that you won’t scare this one away? Or get her killed, or worse?”

Regina nodded slowly, mostly to herself, “Ah, I see, this isn’t about my son, but about me. I have done nothing to you Marylin.”

Mrs. Malifin shot back. “You’ve done something to every person in this town. They are just weak willed idiots to let it go on for so long.”

“I’ve--”

Mrs. Malifin cut Regina off, “Changed? Aren’t going to be a dictatorial killer anymore? I don’t really care whether you’re on the side of the angels or the devils.” It was Mrs. Malifin’s turn to take a step towards Regina. They were nose to nose. “Not everyone in this town likes you, and a few aren’t afraid of you.”

“So, run against me Marylin.”

Mrs. Malifin laughed and it even made Regina shudder just a bit. There was just a little insanity nipping at the edge of the laugh. “Sure-- why not-- if we all live that long.”

“Don’t take out your problem with me on my son. Understood?”

Mrs. Malifin inclined her head, then turned her back very deliberately on Regina and sat back down. “You may have time to-- dilly dally, but I don’t, I have a class soon. So--”

oOOOOo

“Granny’s Diner, the apartment of Mary Margaret. Also where I happen to be staying, some nights. And where twelve other people lived.”

Emma made a noise in the back of her throat and itched at her cast.

“You often talk to yourself?” Ruby appeared in the doorway of Emma’s office, “Knock, knock?”

Emma looked up, “Ruby. Two days and a visit from each side of the Woolf Ruby coin. What do you need?”

“Last night, the fire. I was helping Granny clean up her diner today. The back office, with all the financial stuff and such-- it was soaking wet.”

“Ruby.”

Ruby cut Emma off, “Sorry, I’m storytelling, not getting to the point. You’re probably tired and in pain. Someone tried to start a fire in Granny’s office. It didn’t work because the sprinkler in the room went off.”

Emma shook her head, but also sat forward, “But, it wasn’t all wet in the front.”

“Yeah. It’s an old building. The sprinklers are old too. Chemical based or whatever. The point is that the smoke or heat, or however they work, makes something in there fuse I think, and then it goes off, but it’s not connected to the others.”

“One attempted arson, one completed arson. Have I mentioned that I’m not a Detective? I chased down idiots and put ’em back in jail.”

“Well,” Ruby gave Emma a half a smile, “We have faith in you-- Sheriff.” And left.

Emma groaned, “Great, that’s perfect. No pressure.”

oOOOOo

“Doc.”

“Mayor. I’m not an ME, I treat kids with chicken pox, I treat broken bones, the flu, the common cold and...”

Regina raised an eyebrow, “You’d better watch out Doc, you’re starting to sound like your friend Leroy. So, your findings?”

“Shouldn’t I--” He looked over Regina’s shoulder and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Inform the Sheriff first?”

Regina paused for a moment, stretching the silence until it seemed ready to break, “I’ll do that. Foul play?”

Doc shook his head, “No, seems like simple smoke inhalation. An accidental death is what will go on the form, of course, I can’t speak to how the smoke got in there, if the fire was...”

Regina put a hand up, “I’m not asking you to be an arson investigator Doc. I just needed to know whether or not she was hit in the head, or stabbed, or shot. Thank you Doc.”

Doc brushed back a lock of hair from Gardenia’s face, “I wish she hadn’t died.”

Regina turned at the doorway, “Believe it or not Doc, I do as well.”

oOOOOo

“Sheriff, do you have a moment?”

Emma stopped walking. She was on her way to Granny’s, but Archie was in her way. “Still have your dog under control?”

“Ah, yes, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m still Henry’s therapist.”

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose, “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

“Are you living with them now?” 

Emma nodded, “I lost everything in the fire. So, yeah, I had nowhere else to go. Mary Margaret’s at Woolf’s, I’m in the Mayor’s house.”

“Emma, you have to understand, this is Henry’s dream.”

Emma shook her head, “Somehow, I doubt that Archie. Let me finish your problem with this whole thing. You think that I’m going to leave Regina, and throw Henry into who knows what.”

“He still thinks that his mother is the Evil Queen Emma.”

Emma nodded, “He does. We’re working through that.”

Archie frowned, “Excuse me?”

Emma moved closer to Archie, so that only he could hear her, “Have you ever noticed something Archie. He has never once called his Mom Regina, it’s always Mom.” She paused, “A little story. There’s this guy I kept having to find and bring back to jail, every single time he was at his mother’s house. He’d get arrested for something in Massachusetts, and when he’d get bail he’d go up to New Hampshire where his Mom lived and go home. I’d go up there and there he’d be. About the sixth or seventh time I asked his mother why she kept letting him in the front door. She didn’t really have an answer, other than she loved him.”

Emma looked up at the clock tower, “I told Regina this too. If Henry didn’t love his Mother, he would have really run away. He came back to Storybrooke. It’s the mother kid bond I think. She’s the only one he’s only known, I don’t... I’ve read it can be something in the voice, or the smell, or whatever, but. He loves her, and I love her, and I know that this isn’t just you speaking Archie, but that the whole town is worried. Don’t be. Trust me, the only one doing any breaking of hearts will be Regina. Mayor of Storybrooke or sitting on death row I wouldn’t care. Are we back on the same page? Henry’s going to be fine, go tell your own little war council that everything will work out for the better?”

Archie was silent for a moment, then held a hand out. “Good luck Emma.”

Emma resisted rolling her eyes as she shook Archie’s hand and watched him walk back down the street. She groaned, “They do realize that I’m really not some pristine and perfect white knight, right?”

“They don’t. They think that I’m the cowboy wearing the black hat, you’re in the white hat, and that I’m going to ruin you.”

“Too much Brokeback Madam Mayor?”

“You constantly amaze me by just how hilarious you are Sheriff.” Emma smirked a little at Regina’s jab. Regina continued, “Are you going to Granny’s?”

Emma nodded and she and Regina started towards the diner, “Ruby said that the back office was drenched, that she thought someone tried to set a fire in there too.”

“Gardenia, she died of smoke inhalation. So, she wasn’t the target, just a victim.”

Emma blew out a breath, “Doesn’t make it better, but, it’s something.”

They fell silent as they walked. It was Emma who finally broke the silence, “You haven’t fired me yet. Even if you’re doing half my job.”

“I haven’t kicked you out of my house yet either, but it’s only been one morning.” Regina held the door to Granny’s for Emma, “But, for my son, I’m turning over a new leaf.”

“Was this leaf turned after you ripped into Mrs. Malifin?” When Regina didn’t answer Emma paused in the doorway to the back office, and glanced at the Mayor, “Regina, it was a joke.” She still got no reaction from Regina, “Apparently a very bad joke. Who is she anyway?”

Regina pushed by Emma none to gently to get into the office and glanced around, “You can’t tell Henry.”

“‘Kay.”

“Malificent, and if Henry knew, his mind would start working, and he’s having enough trouble in Math without adding the other world to the mix.”

“I get it.” She too looked around, picked up a wet piece of paper. “Well, wet is right.”

Regina stood off to one side, her arms crossed over her chest as Emma walked slowly around the room. “Feel free to help at any point.”

“You won’t find anything.”

Emma picked up the trash can. There was soaking wet blackened pater in it. “Should have recycled.” Emma leaned back against the desk, closed her eyes and rubbed at her arm just above the cast. 

She opened her eyes as she felt Regina’s hands on her cast and her arm above it. “What are you...”

Regina shushed her and closed her eyes, muttering under her breath. Then, like the flipping of a switch, she was done and she stepped back away from Emma. “What did you do?”

“I can’t knit bones, but I temporarily took away the itch.” Emma looked down at her wrist for a moment and then smiled, “You did, thank you. Do you know a lot of those spells?”

Regina shrugged.

“You know that Henry does that too right? Exactly the same.”

Regina put a hand up, “Stop, just, stop alright. And stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

Emma frowned, “I’m not a detective Regina. I was good at catching runners.”

“So, don’t try to solve a mystery, try to find who ran away from these crime scenes.”

Emma studied Regina for a moment, then shook her head, “You really need to stop being so helpful.”

Regina looked a bit perturbed, “Why?”

“It’s freakin’ me out a little bit.” Regina gave Emma a whack on the shoulder, “Hey now... Don’t you have a town to run?”

Regina bantered back, “Don’t you have a murder to solve?”

“Touche.” Emma started to kiss Regina, but paused. “I--”

Regina rolled her eyes, “We don’t really finish our fights do we.”

Emma kissed Regina, “We could finish one tonight.”

Regina pulled Emma in for another kiss that left the blonde breathless. “Yes. And, maybe one day I won’t...”

“...be such a beautiful and stunning and powerful but total prude?”


	7. Chapter Six

_Maleficent’s laugh was nearly a cackle as she announced herself in Regina’s grand room. “You killed your father... the only one who loved you and you killed him. Brilliant Regina, quite brilliant.”_

_“I’m working Maleficent. Leave.”_

_She didn’t, but came closer. “But, it’s my curse.”_

_“Was.”_

_Maleficent bristled and grabbed Regina by the shoulder. “You’re on your second try. Can your soul take that? What did you forget? This time you will need to get it right, because you will not get a third chance. Prince James, Snow White, they will kill you.”_

_Regina yanked her arm away, “She won’t.”_

_“You don’t--”_

_Regina threw her hand out and Maleficent went flying backwards, “You have nothing I need any longer, or want. Leave now or I will--”_

_“What... I am your only friend, and you abuse me. You-- you are the evilest of evils Regina. You will never have anyone, because you only use people. Your soul is black.” Maleficent paused, “I can help you still. Help you change the spell...” Regina looked up from the book she was reading, just a bit surprised that Maleficent had figured out what she was doing, “...my price is that you include me. Let me remember also.”_

_“No. I don’t need anyone’s help, especially that of a-- witch of your caliber. Leave.”_

_Maleficent shook her head and closed her purple robes around her, “I will do as you say, but, this is not the end. Not at all.” And she stormed from the room, her dress and robe twisting and swirling in her wake._

_Regina glanced up from the book and over at her father’s heart. “It will be for you... you get to start anew.”_

oOOOOo

“Mom-- MOM-- Emmmmaaa...”

Regina jerked awake as Emma came into the living room, “Wha-- where?” She put her hand to her head. “I don’t-- don’t feel well,” she paused, “don’t feel right.”

“Call 9-1-1.” Henry blurted out.

But Regina shook her head, “N-no, I’ll be okay. I just need,... I think your sauce is burning Em.”

Emma jogged back into the kitchen and Henry squished onto the couch next to Regina, “Can you stay awake Mom? That was wicked scary.”

Regina held her arm open and Henry crawled in, “We used to do this when you were little, do you remember that?”

Henry made a face, “I was afraid of the dark, dumb huh?”

“You overcame it.”

Emma called out from the kitchen, “Dinner’s ready guys.”

“Two days in a row now huh?”

Henry shrugged and Regina realized that indeed he did do it nearly the same way she did. “It’s okay, but yours is mostly better, ‘cept for the meatloaf, I don’t like meatloaf, or shrimp, or that sauce that burns my tongue. But other than that...”

“...mmhmm, other than that.”

Henry went into the kitchen. Regina pushed herself off the couch and winced. She definitely didn’t feel right, but the smell of dinner was pretty good too, so she stuffed the pain and icky-ness into the back of her mind and followed her son into the kitchen.

oOOOOo

Leroy stumbled past Phelan, catching himself on her knee and nearly dragging her from the stool. “Woolf. Shouldn’t you be out burnin’ something down.”

The two men with him winced. Phelan recognized them as Lino and Walter. Lino was about the same height as Leroy and Walter, but his entire head was bald, and he often wore a floppy hat to keep his head warm. “Sorry Woolf.” That was Lino.

Phelan waved them off, “A lot of people think that I did it. I didn’t. You drunk Leroy?”

Leroy poked a finger in Phelan’s chest, then chuckled, “Who knew that you had boobs. I always thought you were really a man, just tryin’ to...” He went for the double squeeze, but Phelan was faster. “I think it’s time for you to get home Leroy.”

“I will. Sorry ‘bout... Woolf. He...” Walter shook his head and put an arm around Leroy and they started out of the bar.

Phelan looked towards Lino, “What’s eating him?”

“He’s Grumpy because no one thinks that he did it.”

Phelan narrowed her eyes at Lino, “Are you serious?” Lino shrugged and Phelan frowned, “You seem down too. No witty repartee or anything. And you’re never down. Sometimes you’re so happy that people think you’re on drugs my man.”

Lino took off his floppy hat and rubbed at the top of his head. “I fee. Something’s coming. Can’t you feel it too Woolf?” He paused, “I need to make sure Leroy’s okay.”

“Yeah, see ya Lino.”

Phelan paused a moment then put down money and left the bar. She walked home and let herself in. She shed her jacket and had unzipped her pants when arms encircled her waist from the back. “Getting started without me?”

Phelan smiled, “Goin’ for a run. I need to-- test a theory--”

“Theory, that’s what you’re calling cabin fever now?”

Pehlan turned in Ruby’s arms, “I want to see if I can... I can feel what’s wrong with the town. Leroy’s grumpier than usual, not to mention he’s letting people help him. Lino isn’t his zany self, and I saw Walter just now...”

Ruby glanced over at the clock and back to Phelan, surprised, “Awake?”

“Yep. So-- a little run.”

Ruby kissed the hollow of Phelan’s throat, “I’ll be here. Unless I get swept off my feet by a Vamp.”

“Oh?”

Ruby studied Phelan with a smirk, “Well, maybe I would choose the Werewolf. You’re not tipsy are you? You know tipsy running is just as dangerous as drunk running Woolf.”

Phelan pulled her shirt off over her head as she chuckled. “I nearly forgot. That’s the weirdest thing that’s been going on-- Regina in love.”

Ruby’s face went serious, “Be careful, wolf or not, be careful.”

“Always Rubes.”

oOOOOo

“He’s asleep?”

Emma collapsed on the sofa, “By some miracle, yes.” Emma laid her hand on Regina’s knee, “You look like crap.”

“I think someone did something to me.” Emma started to get up, but Regina stopped her. “The hospital can’t help me, but just... at the back of my medicine cabinet there’s what looks like a spice bottle. It has an herb in it. It’ll stop what she... it’ll help.” Regina coughed and let her eyes close and her head sag back against the couch.

Emma tangled herself from Regina and made her way to the bathroom. It took a moment, but she found the herb. She opened it on her way back to the living room and took a whiff. She winced, “Whoa--” she handed it to Regina. “Tell me you’re not going to--”

Regina took out two leaves and chewed them, then put the top back on. She started to push herself up, her face already getting its color back, but Emma put a restraining hand on her shoulder and squeezed behind her on the couch so they were both lengthwise on it. “Take a breath. Nothing’s on fire, Henry’s fine, you’re gonna be fine, right?”

“Yes.”

“It was magic, what was happening?”

“Mmhmmm-- Maleficient.”

Emma blew out a breath, “Do you have any proof?”

“No, and, no, I don’t think she’s remembered her previous life, but magic is powerful, and it’s here too. No doubt she’s found hers.” She glanced back at Emma, “I didn’t think it would be. I thought that was why they always got there happy endings in the other world and I didn’t. They had magic I didn’t. SO, my curse, I thought it would make me the only one who had magic in this world.”

“How’s that working out for you then?”

Regina mumbled, “Cheeky bitch.”

And Emma laughed, “Dark witch. So, what did she do to you?”

Regina pushed herself up and sat in the corner of the couch, “Did you know that Gold was once in love?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“I know. She didn’t succeed, so, what she did is immaterial.”

Emma blew out a breath. “Fine, whatever. I’m going to bed.”

Emma had just set foot out of the living room when Regina stood and spoke, “Em, wait.” Emma turned and took one step back into the room. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head, “I am not-- playing me. The world has never been fair to me and so I’ve never seen the need to play fair when it comes to anyone else either. It’s not a habit I can break easily. Telling people things, letting people in.”

“I’m not people Regina.”

“I know.”

Emma crossed her arms over her chest, “That’s why it didn’t work when we kissed. Why we’re all still here. You rigged this dark curse, changed it before you cast it the second time. Because the world had never played fair, you decided not to.”

Regina nodded, “Yes. It took... yes, I did. No true love’s kiss can break this spell. I--”

Emma covered her mouth as a half a laugh came out, “Sorry.”

Regina nodded again, “Yes, I never thought that I’d have someone to kiss and break the spell with, that someone would love me. I mean the change in the spell to prevent those like Ashley and Sean, or David and Mary Margaret, or any of the other disgustingly romantic couples from sending us back.”

Emma closed the distance between them, “We’ll find our own un-remembering kiss?”

Regina frowned, “Excuse me?”

“Never mind. C’mon, let’s go to bed.”

oOOOOo

“This is a bad idea Mistress--”

Mrs. Marylin Malifin swivelled her desk chair away from the man in front of her desk and towards the window. She stared out into the dark. She watched as the light in the living room of the Mayor’s house went out and a moment later the one in the master bedroom went on.

She slowly swivelled back and folded her hands on the desk, “No ambulance, no coroner’s van. Nothing.” She slapped her hand on the desk, “They act as if nothing is wrong. After all I’ve done. No-- someone has to die. Someone will die this time Gulliver.”

Gulliver inclined his head, “Yes Mistress...”


	8. Chapter Seven

_“How did you do it?”_

_Mr. Gold was silent for a moment, “That is not important. Wouldn’t you like to meet him?”_

_A young woman came into the living room of the Mayor’s house with a bundle in her arms. With a wail the little boy made himself known, his legs and arms kicking and punching out from under the blanket. The young woman chuckled, “He’s going to give you trouble Ms. Mills. Would you like to hold him?”_

_Regina glanced at Mr. Gold. “Is everything in order?”_

_Even as Mr. Gold gave a regal like nod it was the woman who answered over the boy’s yells, “Yes, yes, perfectly in order. I think he wants his Mommy--”_

_As the young woman put the boy in the Regina’s arms Mr. Gold left the room and Regina relaxed just a bit. The baby boy also settled and blinked up at Regina. A bubble appeared and popped and he made an unintelligable sound._

_The young woman smiled, “What’s his name?”_

_“Henry, Henry Mills.” Regina looked up at the young woman. “Thank you.”_

_The woman cut her off as her face started melting into a red goey demon’s face and her body seemed to catch on fire, “Know what-- never mind. I’m taking him back. You’re not good enough,” she tried to jerk the baby away, but Regina didn’t let go. “You’ll get him killed, or someone he loves more than you killed. You don’t deserve his love,--” With a mighty yank she took Henry from Regina’s arms, laughing maniaclly, red spittle going everywhere, “And you’ll never, never, find happiness--”_

oOOOOo

“Nooo-- noo-- Henry, Henry, give me Henry.”

“Shhh-- shh Regina. He’s probably’ll be here in a second.” Emma practically had Regina in a bear hug from behind. “It’s okay, it’s okay, it was a dream. A nightmare.”

There were three stacatto knocks on the door followed by a, “Mom?”

Regina couldn’t find her voice, but Emma spoke, “Come in Henry. Your Mom’s fine.”

Henry came cautiously into the room and sat down on the bottom edge of the bed. “Mom, are you, are you going to die?”

He stood, and shifted from foot to foot. Finally Regina found her voice again, “No-- I don’t think...” She straightened up, shrugging off Emma’s arms just a little, “No. It was just a nightmare.” She stood from the bed and went over to a bookcase that had some photo albums on it. She took one down and came back to the bed. Henry got back up and settled in between Emma and Regina.

“Ready.”

Regina shook her head, and glanced over at Emma, “I can hear you chuckling under your breath. Stop it.”

Emma bit her lip and held her hands up, “Continue.”

Regina opened the album to the first page. “I... my dream was of this day. Sort of.”

Henry wrinkled his nose, “Is that me?”

Emma leaned down and looked closer at the picture. “Wow. You were a small thing.”

Emma’s phone rang and she looked down at it. “Oh da...” She cut herself off and answered it, “I don’t want to know, do I?”

Emma’s face went white and she closed her eyes as she listened to the other end of the phone. “Yes, yeah, I’ll be right there. I have to make a stop first, and hey... never mind. I’ll...”

Emma hung up the phone and stared down at it. Regina raised her chin with two fingers, “What’s going on?”

Emma put a hand on Henry’s head, “I don’t know if...”

Regina frowned, “Now you have to tell us. Is it Granny? Or Phelan?”

Emma shook her head, “Lino.”

It was Henry who gasped. “He’s... he’s Dopey Emma. Oh no, now there are only six. Is he.” Emma nodded and Henry bit the inside of his lip. “Are you gonna find who’s doing this Emma?”

Emma stood from the bed, “I am. Today.” She strode from Regina’s room. She was about halfway back to her room, where actual clothes she could wear to a crime scene resided when Regina caught up with her.

Emma turned and their lips met as if both had known exactly what the other was going to do. It was a heated kiss and a worried kiss, and it was only the ringing of the Mayor’s land line phone that made them finally part, though Regina didn’t let go of Emma quite yet. “I love you.”

Emma frowned, “Regina. The crime has already been committed.” Regina took a step back from Emma, putting distance between them, but Emma only let her go that one step. “Hey, you gotta let me recover from a kiss like that before you expect an answer. I love you too.” She brushed a lock of hair from Regina’s face, “I think that I have the easier job right now anyway. Henry...”

Regina kissed Emma again, this time a much shorter kiss, “We’ll be okay. And later, we can go through the photo album together too.”

Emma smiled, “I’d like that.”

oOOOOo

Henry stared down at the picture of himself. Emma was right, he looked so little. Someone else must have taken the picture because he was in his Mom’s arm. And she had a look that until a little bit ago he’d never remember seeing on her face. He looked up when Regina came back into the room.

“Henry. Hey... Emma will find whoever did this.” He realized that he’d been crying when Regina wiped the tears from his cheeks and slid in behind him. “So, do you want to see some more of your earliest pictures?” Henry sniffed and nodded. “Okay. So, you hated baths. I think that you were part cat as a child.”

Henry frowned, “Really? Hating baths is stupid.” 

“But you loved Broccili.”

Henry made a face up at his Mom, “Eww...”

Regina didn't see it coming, and with only one sniff, obviously trying to keep them back, tears flowed from Henry's eyes. He curled into Regina, sobbing and trying to talk at the same time, "I'm s-sorry. I-it's all-ll my f-fault."

"Shhh... no, it's not Henry." She rubbed a circle on Henry's back. He stopped speaking, but didn't move from his position against Regina's chest. Regina closed her eyes. It felt like her heart was overheating, and the back of her eyes were burning. She swallowed and kept stroking Henry's back. "Shh... you're safe," she finished in a mumble, "And it's my fault."

oOOOOo

Emma knocked on Phelan’s door. A bleary looking Phelan came to the door, “Yeah?”

“Is your better half around Woolf?”

Phelan stepped back and gestured towards the kitchen. “You always up at the butt crack of dawn?”

Emma ignored Phelan and went into the kitchen. “I have a proposition for you Ruby.”

Ruby cocked her head to one side, “Will Regina kill me afterwards?”

“Maybe.”

Ruby winced, “Ah, I was joking.”

“Do you want to waitress at your grandmother’s diner the rest of your life?”

Ruby shook her head, “Of course not.” Then she made a face, “No... it’s a bad idea. Sheriffs die in this town.”

Emma took out the badge that she’d gotten from the Sheriff’s office and put it on the counter. “I need someone I trust, who’s smart, and who doesn’t take crap from anyone, because there will be crap, a lot of it.”

Ruby studied the badge for a moment before looking up at Phelan, “This is a bad idea, right Woolf?”

Phelan put her hands up, “Do I want you to? Of course not. But, do you want to?”

Ruby bit the inside of her lip, “I, ah, I sorta do. That makes me crazy, doesn’t it?”

Emma nodded, “Yes. So?”

“Ah, what the hell.” She pointed at Ruby, badge in hand, “But, if I get killed. I’m gonna haunt you.” She paused when Emma didn’t smile, “Let me guess, something else happened too?”

Emma just nodded.

oOOOOo

Doc stood in the doorway of Lino’s house. Somehow Walter and the rest had managed to keep Leroy from rushing over here and destroying any small chance that they had to find out who in the town of Storybrooke had killed their brother. But, he found that once he’d gotten to the house, he couldn’t go in. Emma was supposedly on her way, but not there yet, and Doc was paralyzed.

He was always the one that everyone looked up to, perhaps that’s why he couldn’t enter. He didn’t want to let anyone down, and if he got even one thing wrong, he would be. A hand came down on his shoulder and he looked over. “Ruby? You can’t enter, this is a crime scene.”

Ruby sighed, “Actually I can, I’m the new Storybrooke Deputy.”

Doc shook his head, “It’s a bad job to have.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow, “I have no doubt my grandmother will absolutely love it. Doc, you ready to go in?”

“No. You?”

Ruby shook her head, “Nope, but Emma’s going to meet us in there, so, we should probably get a move on it.”

“Meet?”

Ruby waved her hand towards the perfect looking front door and its lock as if she was a spokesmodel, “No break in, and I happen to know that Lino doesn’t have a spare key floating around. Well, ‘cept with you. Emma’s going in the way that whoever did this did.”

Doc took a breath in and slowly let it out. “Okay.”


	9. Chapter Eight

"Hello Ash-"

Ashley looked up, "Woolf, what are you doing here?"

Phelan smiled, "I have to do a welfare check."

Ashley made a face, "The legacy of Mr. Gold?"

Phelan nodded and entered the house. "But, this is the last one, well-" Phelan smirked, "Unless you've decided to play Russian roulette with the tyke or somethin'..."

The little one gave a yell and Ashley went over, "No. Sean is great with Alexandra, and I- I'm good with her too." Ashley smiled, "I'm a Mom and a good one- I never-" She shook her head and picked up Alexandra. "We'll give you one last tour. But you and Ruby should come over for dinner sometime too. When you don't have to grill me."

Phelan glanced into a room, "First she'll have to get some time off from her new boss."

"New boss?"

"Sheriff Emma Swan."

oOOOOo

Emma stood in the middle of Lino's living room. Lino's body was gone and Emma could feel the cold breeze from the broken back window. There was something off about the room, but since Emma had never been in it before, she didn't know exactly what.

Ruby had gone on her first assignment. Coffee. That had gotten Emma a look from Ruby, but then the young woman had taken a look at Emma's face and realized that the blonde woman looked horrible, like she'd gotten run over by a truck. She was even cradling her casted hand to her body.

Ruby came back into the house carefully and handed Emma her coffee, "Uh, boss, you haven't moved since I left."

"Don't call me that. Emma's fine."

Ruby rolled her eyes, "You get any sleep last night Emma?"

"Nope- Regina kept me awake all night."

"Eww..." Ruby made a face, "Don't need to know that-"

Emma glanced over at Ruby, "Not in a good way Ruby. She had nightmares all night."

"Oh- that sucks. Sorry. So, do you know who did it yet?"

Emma turned to Ruby, "Have you ever been here before?"

"Sure, yeah."

"What's different?"

Ruby's gaze went around the room and finally stopped on the rug at the far end of the living room. She pointed. "The rug wasn't there."

They went over and Emma peeled it back. Under it was a small pool of blood, "Someone got hurt here-" Emma glanced to her right, the broken window was right there, "So. Guy-"

"-or gal."

"Guy or gal breaks in. Freezes here, gets shot."

Ruby shook her head, "Lino didn't have a gun, or even like them at all."

Emma pulled up her shirt a bit. Showing Ruby a small scar, "I got shot, but it wasn't with a gun, it was a bit more old school."

"An arrow. So, Lino hits this guy with an arrow, but it doesn't work? And Lino gets shot with the guy's gun. Okay, but how does that help us find who did this?"

Emma zipped up her jacket and put on her gloves, "See, this part I can do. We find the- person who's injured. And I'm damn good at finding people."

oOOOOo

"Answer- Answer- ANSWER!" Gulliver slammed the phone against the wall and it shattered into a million pieces. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!" He grunted in pain and put his hand to his side. It came away covered with blood. Then he looked down at the counter and at the gun he'd used to kill Lino. The gun would get him help, even if Marylin wouldn't answer her phone.

oOOOOo

Emma listened to Ruby on the other end of the phone and tried not to roll her eyes too much. She sat in her car in front of Doc's practice while Ruby sat inside the hospital in the waiting room.

"You think he'll show up for medical help, really? Isn't that sorta stupid?"

Emma glanced from side to side, "Number one, people more often than not are very stupid when given the chance. And number two, this isn't a bullet wound. Arrows don't go in clean, and they definitely don't come out clean. 'Specially if he was angry when he yanked it out."

"You know we're less than a block away from each other? I can see you from here-" Before Emma could speak Ruby did, "I know, I know. Eyes on the doors. Twenty bucks I get him?"

Emma was silent a moment and Ruby was sure that the Sheriff was going to tell her that they shouldn't be betting on something like that. Instead she responded with, "It's a bet, and will be wrong."

"How do you know that?"

Emma undid the clasp of her holster. "Look out your window. Easiest twenty bucks I've ever made."

Emma hung up the phone to Ruby telling her that wasn't a fair bet, tossed it on the passenger seat and got out. Taking out her gun and pointed it at the limping and hunched over Gulliver she spoke, "Put down the gun Gulliver and we'll get your arrow hole looked at."

"No- NO! It's my turn- MY TURN. I'm the winner, not a troll. I'm not-" He shot his gun in the air twice. Causing those nearby to take cover. It also caused some of Storybrooke's citizens to come out to their sidewalks and the street. Including the Mayor and Henry. And Gulliver's gaze unfortunately went straight to them.

Emma tried to do something about that, "Hey, Gulliver, you can be whoever you want man. Just put down the gun. We'll get you patched up and-"

"NO!" Gulliver was still screaming, his tie and suit looked as though he'd been through the washing machine himself, his hair flew in all directions, and his face was a quite disturbing shade of red. "I just want to LEAVE." He waved the gun at Regina, "But NO, SHE won't let any of us leave. We just want to leave this godforsaken town..."

He waved the gun in a circle, causing people to drop to the street, but it wasn't long before the gun was trained on Regina again, and because he was standing in front of her, Henry, and Gulliver was still ranting. Emma stopped listening. She was only two or three feet from them, but it may as well have been a football field because of the gun.

Emma wasn't sure why she had what she did running through her head. Perhaps it was her heart beat which was at least going one twenty or one thirty, which was about the beat of the song. She'd seen the movie just once, and had been watching it because of Queen Latifah, definitely not Richard Gere and his not quite falsetto voice.

She shook her head, clearing it, and focused on the gun, ignoring Gulliver almost entirely. It was for that reason and that reason only that she saw his finger tighten on the trigger. She didn't stop to think, but sprang into action, getting in front of Regina and Henry and then there was pain like she'd never felt before, and then nothing.

oOOOOo

Regina gasped. It had all happened between one blink and another and Emma was in her lap, and not moving and she didn't think, but put one hand to Emma's head where blood seemed to be seceding from her brain with alarming speed. She threw up the other hand and Gulliver flew through the air and slammed against the wall of Doc's practice. The big man clawed at his throat, but there was nothing physical there that he could pull away from around his airway.

It was Henry who disrupted Regina's concentration, or tried to, "Mom... Mom, don't." No one moved. Not Henry, or Regina. Not a stunned Ruby, or any of the other people of Storybrooke. They could feel the anger, the hate, the power coming off of Regina as Gulliver's face slowly got redder and redder.

Henry didn't give up though. He gripped Regina's arm with both of his hands and tried to pull it down. "Mom..." The second word barely came out in a whisper, "Please..."  
Gulliver suddenly fell to the ground, quite unconscious, though still alive and Ruby as well as Marco hurried over to him. Ruby with her newly acquired handcuffs.

Regina just stared down at Emma who hadn't moved even a fraction of an inch since she'd taken the bullet meant for Regina. It was Doc that got to them first, though Phelan was there soon after. She tried to pull Henry away, but he fought her every step, until Phelan finally had to pick him up and carry him away, and still he didn't go quietly, Phelan was pretty sure she was going to be deaf in one ear.

Regina meanwhile let herself be pushed to the side by Doc and Doctor Whale as they worked on her, and she stood and followed them into the hospital like a zombie. Ruby said something to her, Marco, Archie, it seemed like most of the town came by while she was sitting in the waiting room and spoke to her. She heard absolutely none of it until someone leaned down behind her and spoke in a whisper, "No one gets a happy ending Mayor."

Regina stood and whirled, but she wasn't fast enough, though she was pretty sure she knew who it had been. She closed her eyes and sat back down with a thump, "Maleficent."


	10. Chapter Nine

When Ruby got home she found Phelan with her head against a wall, her feet spread under her, and a hole in between her hands. Ruby frowned, “Where’s Henry?”

Phelan made a fist against the wall, closed her eyes, and then opened them. “I had to lock him in the guest room, and break the window lock in there. I’m surprised that I haven’t heard breaking glass yet. Is she...” Phelan’s jaw worked, “Is Emma dead Ruby? Because I don’t think that I can take the assault when we tell him. Henry’s a fighter.” 

Ruby winced and gently touched Phelan’s eye that was just starting to turn colors. “I can see that. Did he do that to the wall?”

“Ah, no...” Ruby didn’t say anything, but Phelan seemed to hear something in Ruby’s silence, “I’m a wolf, the damn big bad wolf, I have a temper.”

Ruby pulled Phelan to her by the neck and hugged her for a long, long few minutes. Finally Phelan pulled away, “Rubes...”

Ruby shook her head, “It’s worse than dead. A whole lot worse than dead.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

oOOOOo

“What are you going to do.”

Regina physically pushed Mary Margaret away, though not as hard as she wanted to. She could feel everything coursing through her. It felt like the entire town, the town that she had created, was flowing through her, and she felt as though she was going to explode. “Go away.”

Mary Margaret wasn’t backing down, “Why? So you can go kill Gulliver. You were going to kill a man in front of your son Regina. You killed Grahmn, so who’s next Gulliver, me, Archie, Marco, Ruby...”

“STOP! Stop it.” Regina put her hands to her ears and turned away from Mary Margaret, “Just stop.”

Mary Margaret didn’t stop, “Or what?”

Regina slowly turned and grabbed the collar of Mary Margaret’s shirt, pushing her backwards until she was up against the wall. The woman didn’t blink and stared right back at Regina. “Now what Madam Mayor.”

Regina grit her teeth and leaned in, “We were happy. I was happy.”

Mary Margaret spoke in a voice just above a whisper, “So were we. You took that away from all of us.”

“She was your daughter.”

Mary Margaret didn’t blink, “He was aiming for you.”

Regina pushed Mary Margaret, causing the young woman’s head to bang against the wall, “You think I don’t know that? That the fact that I should be in that room, on those machines or down in the morgue isn’t resonating through every Bone in my Body right now?”

Mary Margaret narrowed her eyes and then gave Regina the final push, “Then do something about it...” she paused, and then put the cherry on top, “...Queen.”

oOOOOo

Henry had cried himself out several times over. And tried to fix the windows lock twice as well, not to mention trying to break the door’s lock, or kick down the door. That last one had hurt quite a bit. It seemed much easier in the movies and on the TV shows, of course, they were all big adult actors too. 

He was so tired and flopped on the bed for a second before a wave of worry cascaded over him. He frowned and jumped back up, pulling at the door with all his might. Pushing, pulling, pushing pulling, until he pulled and the door opened. He went sprawling backwards. It had been Ruby that opened the door. “Henry. We need to talk.”

Both Ruby and Phelan stood in the door and Henry swallowed back tears that he didn’t think he had. “Is... is Emma dead?”

“No. But she’s in a coma, and... the doctors don’t think that she’ll come out of it.”

Henry tried to keep a strong face on, “Ever?” Ruby nodded. “My Mom?”

Ruby shook her head, “She’s fine, but, she disappeared Henry.”

There was a boom and all three looked up.

Both Henry and Ruby had to jump backwards as all of a sudden there was a wolf in the room. Phelan dashed from the guest room towards the living room, knocking the gun safe off and giving it two kicks causing it to open. Still in wolf form she grabbed the gun with her mouth and was out the door just as Henry and Ruby got to the doorway of the living room.

Henry sniffed back his tears, “Ruby, why... what...”

Ruby shook her head, “I’ve never seen... I’ve never seen Woolf like that.”

Henry slipped his hand from Ruby’s and was out the door before Ruby could blink. “Ah, hell...” And went after him.

oOOOOo

Regina stood in a grove. It wasn’t too far from the town, but far enough. She looked down at her hands, and herself. She hadn’t washed any of Emma’s blood off of her suit. She ripped her blazer off and raised her hands to the heavens. Speaking under her breath.

A moment, a lifetime later, Regina didn’t know, a wolf bounded into the clearing and turned into a totally naked Phelan. She picked up the gun off the ground and pointed it at Regina. “Stop--”

The sky clouded over with dark, dark clouds and Phelan looked up as rain poured down. “What are you doing?”

Regina’s eyes were red rimmed and their gaze burned into Phelan’s soul so pointedly that the wolf woman shuddered. The dark haired woman’s voice was rough with emotion and anger as she spoke, “I created this town-- I will destroy IT.”

She closed her eyes and put her face up to the sky, her mouth moving with no words coming out.

Phelan growled under her breath and her hand tightened on the trigger, but before she could pull it. Henry dashed into the clearing and stumbled to a halt in the mud. “Please don’t Mom. Please, please... Emma’ll be okay, everything will work out, I promise. Pleeesse Mom.”

Phelan took deep breaths and was happy that her hand didn’t waver. “Listen to your son Mayor.”

Regina whirled and Phelan only barely didn’t take a step back at the look in the Mayor’s eyes. “You DARE?”

Phelan swallowed, but didn’t move the gun from where it was pointing. Honestly she was petrified that Henry was going to jump in front of his Mom at some point. He tended to leap before he looked.

Regina meanwhile may have been wearing a pant suit, but there was nothing earthly about her. Her eyes were the same color they always had been, but her hair seemed to be blacker than a black hole and the energy around the Mayor made Phelan’s hair stand on end. “Look Mayor, the Doc said that there was a chance. If you destroy the world, then there’s no chance...”

“Mom.”

Regina turned back to Henry and looked down at him, “I’m sorry Henry, but... I’m evil remember, and...”

Henry yelled, “No...” and dove for his mother.


	11. Chapter Ten

Regina stared up at the trees from her back. Henry had tackled her so hard that they’d both wound up on their back. And, at the same time that Henry had knocked her off her feet the clouds had gone away, the rain stopped as if the spigot was turned off and the moon shined brightly in the clear dark sky again.

Henry rolled off his Mom and stared up at the sky.

Regina spoke softly, “Henry...”

Henry cut his Mom off, “What if-- what if you destroyed the whole world, or, or what if you des-destroyed everyone in Storybrooke but me, ‘cause I’m not a Fairy Tale, I’m real, and I...” Henry sniffed back a sob and looked away from his Mom, “I don’t want to be alone Mom...”

Regina finally actually looked over at her adopted son and after a half a second pause, pulled him closer to her, tucking his head under her chin. “I’m-- I’m sorry Henry. I wasn’t thinking-- I- I was so...”

Henry completed Regina’s thought, “Sad. Me too-- I love Emma.” He looked up at Regina, “Can you make her better?”

Regina shook her head, “I don’t, I don’t think so Henry. She--” Regina cleared her throat, “The bullet ripped through Emma’s brain, and, and it took all of her away with it. There is no magic that can get that back I think.”

Henry sat up, “But... but everyone’s saying that there’s a chance. Is there a chance Mom?” Regina swallowed, “Are you gonna... pull the plug?”

Regina pushed herself up as well, “I think so.”

“I wanna say good-bye Mom, please...”

“Henry--”

He set his jaw and crossed his arms over his chest, “She’s my Mom-- okay. I will-- or, or...”

Regina raised an eyebrow, “You’ll destroy the world?”

Phelan made a noise and Regina looked over, then quickly looked back to Henry and put her hand over his eyes. “Miss Conor, you’re naked.”

Phelan cleared her throat, “Yes, well Madam Mayor, time was of the essence. And I wasn’t sure if even I could stop you. I’ll--” She glanced towards Henry and back to Regina, “I’ll leave you and your son to get back to Storybrooke if you don’t plan on destroying us all again.”

“I don’t.”

Phelan met Regina’s eyes and with a nod Phelan was gone.

Regina took her hand away from Henry’s eyes and stood, bringing Henry with her. “On our way back we’re going to talk about you jumping into danger young man.”

“Oh--”

oOOOOo

Mary Margaret crossed her arms over her chest, “Doc, this isn’t up for debate. I am her mother. Regina has no biological connection to her at all.”

“Bu-but, she’s the Mayor... and...” Doc shook his head, “You’re saying you believe that we’re all, from another whole world?”

“Regina doesn’t decide what happens to Emma. I do. Understand? If not her mother, I am her roommate. All Regina has wanted to do the entire time Emma has been in Storybrooke is for Emma to leave. Killing her would be a good way to get her to leave, wouldn’t it? You said that there was a chance..”

Doc cut Mary Margaret off, ”Minuscule, yes.”

“But still-- I will make her decisions. I will not let Regina kill her.”

Doc frowned, “Kill her, I thought they-- I--” He shook his head and let it slide, “I’ll tell Doctor Whale that you’ll make Emma’s decisions.”

“Thank you.”

Doc left the waiting room and Marylin Malifin entered, sitting down next to Mary Margaret. “A good precaution. I heard that the young woman wasn’t doing well.”

Mary Margaret sighed and slowly nodded, “Doc says that she’s-- hovering between life and death, and that-- I mean...”

Marylin put an arm over Mary Margaret’s shoulder, “He used big words and hedged his bets, but doesn’t really know if she’ll die, or be in a coma for the rest of her life, or wake up. That’s what they do. I understand what you’re saying. Do you need anything honey? Anything.”

Mary Margaret shook her head and looked over at Marylin with a sad smile, “Thank you.”

Marylin stood with a sad smile on her face, “Teachers must stick together young lady. The Sheriff would be happy you’re looking after her.”

As Marylin left, David and Ashley entered. David engulfed Mary Margaret in a hug and Ashley laid a hand on Mary Margaret’s arm. “It’ll be okay.”


	12. Chapter Eleven

Ruby stared down at the Sheriff badge on the edge of the desk, then at her own deputy badge in her hand. With a heave Ruby hucked the deputy badge across the room, it smashed against the wall and fell to the ground. 

The noise unfortunately got Gulliver going again. It was morning, and she’d had to listen to him all night. He pulled at the bars, yelling and cursing at Ruby, Regina, the world until Ruby couldn’t take it anymore. She put her hands over her ears. “Shut up, shut up-- SHUT UP!”

To Ruby’s amazement, Gulliver did shut up and went still as well. Ruby stood and slowly walked towards the bars. “What’s your issue Gulliver. You’ve got a damn good life here. Insurance agent, a house, you take people’s money and they beg you to take more. Why ruin it by killing someone?”

Gulliver leaned his head against the bars. “Give me some water.” Ruby stared at Gulliver for a long moment under her eyelashes. He cleared his throat, “Please?”

Ruby stared at Gulliver for a long time, then inclined her head, “Fine.”

Gulliver waited quietly and then carefully took the cup from Ruby hands and took a sip, then held it between his hands. “The Queen should have known better.”

Ruby looked up at Gulliver, “You called her Queen? She’s the Mayor, she’s not this... evil Queen.”

Gulliver took another long gulp and handed back the cup, “Even after everything you’ve seen. Your wolf friend? You still don’t believe?” Ruby shrugged, “She is real, as is her power. I was under a bridge, scaring travellers for their pennies. She gave me a higher purpose-- scaring people for her.” His hands gripped the bars tighter, “And then-- she sent us all to this, to this god forsaken place and took everything I had, we all had, away.”

Ruby frowned, “How did you--”

“Remember everything? Getting the life choked from you clarifies-- everything. It all came back...” He glanced around, “I’m surprised we’re all still here. That she didn’t destroy us all the moment she had the chance.”

Ruby frowned, “Still here? Woolf and Henry went after Regina, but Woolf came back and said that Henry had prevented Regina from doing anything too rash.”

Gulliver frowned at Ruby, “Are you crazy? You don’t believe that she’s, but you just said...” He shook his head, “Not destroying us all, destroying Storybrooke, that doesn’t sound like the Evil Queen.”

Ruby turned her back on Gulliver and collected her deputy badge from the floor, “You killed the woman she loved. That’ll do somethin’ to a person. Change her even. Now, you don’t move and you keep it down. I have to go make sure Regina hasn’t mixed it up with more people in town.”

oOOOOo

“I’m sorry Madam Mayor, you can’t go in.”

Regina started to push by Walter, but the smaller man wouldn’t be moved, “I’m sorry Walter, but I have to see Emma. The doctors told me that Mary Margaret won’t take her off the machines, I understand that. I won’t kill her while I’m in there, I just need to say good-bye. And Walter, you can tell Mary Margaret that I didn’t give you a choice.”

After a moment Walter stepped to the side and Regina stepped into the empty room before Walter changed his mind and Regina had to get physical. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Then went over to the bed and took Emma’s hand in her own and stared down at the combination. “Your son stopped me from-- well-- destroying everything. Because, in that moment the crazy boy was flying through the air, I could only see you in him, none of me, and that...” Regina cleared her throat, “Of course, Miss Conor, Woolf, thought she would shoot me before I ended the world. She was even naked, I didn’t look though.” Regina shook her head, “Sometimes I think that people here forget what I am.” With her other hand she brushed an errant blonde lock from Emma’s eyes. “Sometimes, when you looked at me, even I forgot what I am.” She squeezed Emma’s hand and let go as she stood. “I will find a way-- I will.”

oOOOOo

Mary Margaret frowned as she watched from around a corner. She watched as Regina left Emma’s room and paused by Walter. “My son will be sneaking in there in a few moments, would you...”

Walter frowned, “I can’t leave my...” He paused, “You’re leaving the hospital?” Regina nodded, “Well, I am feeling a bit peckish, and a bit sleepy as well.” Regina clapped him on the shoulder and strode down the hall without looking back. A plan was coming to her.

Mary Margaret meanwhile glanced through the open door and then at Walter walking away from the room, but after a moment’s hesitation didn’t go in, instead she followed Regina.

oOOOOo

Henry dashed across the hall from the stairwell and into Emma’s room. “Oh...”

Regina hadn’t let him visit since she’d gotten hurt. While they’d walked back from the grove Regina had promised that they would visit, but hadn’t said when. And Henry just couldn’t wait, so he’d stayed in bed, pretending to still be asleep, supposedly tired from the previous long night, until Regina had left and then followed her to the hospital.

Henry sniffed back a tear and assessed the situation, Emma had a lot of machines attached to her, beeping and wheezing. He jumped as the door closed behind him. Ruby stood in front of the closed door, her arms crossed over chest. “Henry, does your Mom know you’re here?” 

He shook his head, “Ruby, is she-- is Emma d-dead? I mean, everyone says no, but look at all the... all of it...”

Ruby was silent, she had no idea how to answer his question, “It’s-- Emma’s brain, they call it, well, basically her body is here, but her brain was too hurt when the bull... She’ll never wake up kid.” Ruby closed her eyes, trying to get control of herself. Then opened them and frowned at the young kid, “Your Mom didn’t tell you all this?”

Henry shook his head, “Yeah, I mean, yes, I guess but now...”

“Now it’s all real because you’re standing here huh?” Henry nodded and Ruby put an arm around him, “Unfortunately this is the real world, now, if we were in your and Woolf’s little Happily Ever After world, maybe something like true love’s kiss or something would work, but, not here.” Ruby paused, “Maybe your Mom’ll come up with something.”

“Yeah... maybe.”

oOOOOo

Regina hefted the cauldron out of the trunk of her car and rolled it to the center of the clearing in the woods.

She’d filled it with water, and built and lit a fire under it when Mary Margaret finally caught up with her. Mary Margaret didn’t hide. “What are you going to do now?”

“Save your daughter.”

Mary Margaret caught Regina’s arm, “You can’t Regina. I hate it as much as you do, probably more since I don’t think you can love anyone anymore--”

Regina shrugged off Mary Margaret’s hand, “I can fix it.”

“Regina.”

But the Mayor didn’t let Mary Margaret get another word in edgewise, “Don’t worry, the only one who will get hurt this time is me. You should be ecstatic to hear that. You get your daughter, your grandson, your husband, and I won’t be there. You win... again. Enjoy.”

Mary Margaret took a step towards Regina, “I don’t believe you.”

Regina raised her hand and Mary Margaret slid backwards five or six yards. “I will stop you with more force, even kill you if I absolutely have to. Henry needs Emma more than he needs me. I see that. I do. So, you’ve won. Leave.” She waved her hand and Mary Margaret was gone from the clearing. “Meddling brat, once a meddling brat, always a meddling brat.”

She finished her preparations and closed her eyes. She chanted as she threw things into the cauldron. Her previous spell had been from her heart, and a destruction spell. Destruction spells were always simple, not much needed other than your will, but this spell, this one needed more, much more. She threw in a strand of blonde hair, and swallowed back her emotion. Emma hadn’t moved when she’d plucked it from her head.

oOOOOo

Mary Margaret stumbled forward. Regina had made her appear near the hospital. Mary Margaret had to jump backwards before a fully dressed Phelan ran her over with her motorcycle. Phelan braked, “Mary Margaret, the hell, where’d you come from?”

Mary Margaret jumped on the back of Phelan’s motorcycle, “Forest, clearing-- Regina.”

Phelan let the motorcycle roar to life again, and without even one question, shot down the road.

Ruby and Henry had just exited the hospital as Phelan and Mary Margaret went whizzing by, “What the--”

They both looked up at the sky as it got dark, it had just been a beautiful and sunny new morning. A perfectly blue sky day. “Oh no.”

Ruby looked down at Henry, “What?”

“Can’t you tell? My Mom, she’s doing another spell.” He started running the way that Phelan and Mary Margaret had gone. Ruby was stunned motionless for a moment, then quickly took off after him.

oOOOOo

Phelan and Mary Margaret screeched to a halt as a plume of red and white smoke belched from the cauldron and Regina collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Mary Margaret was the first one to Regina’s side, “Regina, Regina, what did, what did you d-?”

There was a gigantic crash of lightning and it was as if the entire world blinked, once, twice. Then both Mary Margaret and Phelan were thrown to the ground and there was a ringing that seemed to go on and on and on and then it stopped and there was total silence.


	13. Chapter Twelve

“Ow-- Ow?” Henry blinked open his eyes and his mouth dropped. Where there had been a hospital now stood a medium sized house with a thatch roof.

He stood and turned. Where the town offices had stood was a very large castle. “It-- the curse, the curse is broken. Ruby--” Henry spun towards a confused looking Ruby, “Whoa-- Little Red Riding Hood, awesome!”

Ruby, Little Red Riding Hood, frowned as she pushed back her hood, “Who are you young man?”

“Hmmm-- you don’t remember--” His eyes went to the road as he heard hoof beats. Red pushed him behind her. “Wolf? Granny said if she saw you again that she’d... Wolf?”

Phelan paid no attention to Ruby as she jumped from the horse and took Regina down from the horses’ behind. “Henry, Regina needs a--”

Henry rushed to their side, “Mom? Woolf, what happened?”

Phelan shook her head, “A poof of red and white smoke that seemed to intertwine, then she collapsed, then the world went...”

“Wonky?”

Phelan nodded, “I was going to use more... colorful language, but yeah, wonky’ll do. Oh, and Mary Margaret thinks she’s Snow White again.”

“Ruby thinks that she’s Red Riding Hood too, so...”

“Henry?”

Red, Phelan and Henry all looked over at the thatch roofed house as Emma came out of it in only a long linen shift. Henry’s face lit up and he ran at her. She was nearly knocked over as Henry hugged her around the waist as tightly as he could. “You’re okay, you’re okay.” He squeezed harder if that was possible, then deflated a little, “But Mom isn’t.”

Emma took Henry by the hand. They’d almost gotten back to Regina and Phelan when James and Snow appeared. James also had his sword out and pointed at Emma’s throat. “Stop.”

Emma looked down at her attire, then back up at the sword, “Really, where do you think I’m hidin’ my sword, up my--”

Henry helpfully interrupted his birth mother’s thought, “He’s your--”

Emma cut Henry right back off, “I know who he is. Look, I could disarm you, or you could take the easy way out and let me by to get to Regina.”

James stared at Emma for a moment, then chuckled, but before the chuckle was finished his sword was clattering to the ground next to him and Henry and Emma were by him.

“How did?”

Emma shook her head, “There was a bail jumper, he hid in a Renaissance Faire. It was a thing. I did have more clothes on though, and shoes. I’d really love shoes right now.”

Phelan cleared her throat, “Focus Sheriff, Regina’s in a coma, like you were I think. No brain activity. I even slapped her a couple of times. Didn’t work.”

Emma raised an eyebrow, “Slapped her? That’s your diagnostic technique?”

Phelan bantered right back, “Diagnostic technique, that’s big words there...”

Emma rolled her eyes, “Previous life. What am I...”

“Kiss her, ‘cause, we’re not in the regular world anymore, you know?”

Emma frowned, “True love’s kiss?” Both Phelan and Henry nodded. Emma cleared her throat and looked back at Phelan and Henry, then down at Regina, in all her Evil Queen get up. “I don’t... what if I’m Edward, not Richard.”

Snow, James and Ruby frowned, they didn’t get the reference, but Phelan laughed and Henry rolled her eyes. It was Phelan who spoke, “Look, we don’t have a lot of choices. I don’t think that the step daughter’s going to do it...” She made a face, “And I know that Charming over there isn’t. Red might, but... I think you’re it Emma.”

Both Snow and Jame’s mouths dropped, “Emma?” James took a step towards Emma and Regina, but Phelan stopped him, “No, she cannot...”

But, Emma did. She got down on one knee and put her left hand on Regina’s cheek, she blinked as she looked down, her cast was gone, and even better, the wrist didn’t itch. She smiled and with her other hand brought Regina’s head up to her and met Regina’s lips. They were cold, so cold. And then, they weren’t as cold, and then, Regina’s eyes blinked open and as Emma put her head back down on the grass Regina gasped. “Where am... Emma? Did you...” Regina narrowed her eyes at the blonde, “I didn’t know that true love’s kiss involved tongue.”

Phelan snorted a laugh, and Emma smirked, “New Millennium, fables have to change. You, you are the smartest woman I have ever known.”

Emma helped Regina to a sitting position and knelt in front of her. Regina caught Emma’s left hand in her own. “You... The spell, I thought that it would just heal your brain, your mind, but...”

Emma shook her head and rested her forehead against Regina’s. “Why... what did you do?”

“I, I cast a spell that allowed me to take your injury myself.” Regina closed her eyes for a moment, “You are the one that Henry can’t live without. I was here just until you were ready.”

Henry made a noise, “That’s stupid Mom.”

Regina held open her arms and it looked as though Snow was going to jump out of her skin as Henry practically dove into Regina’s arms for the second time in fewer days, though this time there was much less danger involved. He gave her as big a hug as he had Emma. Emma laid a hand on each of their backs.

Snow shook her head, “I just... I don’t believe it. What did you do to us? Erase our memories for, what, twenty, thirty years? Take our baby, all that work on that wardrobe, and, still, you won?”

Regina looked up at Snow, “That’s not what happened. I cast... I cast the Dark Curse, and it worked, I had to kill my...” She closed her eyes for a moment, “No, it worked perfectly, but, you...” She glanced at James, “You two, got her away, just in time.” Regina held a hand up, and Emma with a little help from Henry, helped Regina rise to her feet, “And, just to prove that your Emma survived, may I present to you, your grandson Henry.”

Neither Snow or James moved towards Regina, Emma and Henry. And Emma didn’t move from in front of what they thought of as the Evil Queen. Henry took Regina’s hand, “Mom, you taking Emma’s coma, that makes sense, but, why did we all get transported to Story Book Land instead of Storybrooke?”

Regina smiled, just a little and ran a hand through Henry’s hair, “I think... I think that by me doing something that would not at all result in me having a happily ever after ending, I think by doing something selfless, for you, for Emma, that it broke the curse.”

Emma smirked, “That should teach you to never try and circumvent true love’s kiss. True love’s kiss should be able to break all curses.”

Regina smiled and nearly laughed when Ruby, James and Snow all jumped, then kissed Emma until Henry started yanking at Regina’s arm.

“Mom... Ewwww...”

Both Emma and Regina laughed. And Snow White, Ruby and James, they all looked just a bit sick to their stomach.


	14. Epilogue

Emma sat on her horse and watched as one of the six dwarves left their house. It wasn’t a castle by any stretch of the imagination, but it was definitely bigger than any of the other houses in the village. The castle could be seen from the house’s windows, but it was small dot on the horizon. Emma called their banishment to the farthest most village in the kingdom a condition of Regina’s parole. Of course, she called it that mostly in her head since Regina didn’t like to talk about it. 

It was the one thing that Emma wouldn’t tell Regina. The only thing. They shared everything else, their hopes, their fears. But Emma would never tell Regina what Emma had promised her mother and father, Snow White and Prince James, to get them not to burn Regina at the stake. 

Regina looked up, she could feel Emma’s gaze on her. “You’re back.”

Emma dismounted. “Ayup.”

Regina rolled her eyes, “You do that on purpose.”

Emma made a face, “You people here speak so... so wrong. Ya need some slang that’s not an accent. Seriously... Use wicked in a way that’s entirely wrong grammatically. Throw in a coupla ‘draws’ or some ‘idears’...” She kissed Regina. “You’re not going to ask me how James and Mary... and Snow are doing, how they’re liking being in charge?”

Regina’s eyes twinkled and she smirked, “Just because James and Snow are King and Queen, doesn’t mean they’re in charge.” Emma laughed. “Are they... alive?”

Emma laughed again, “Usually the question that’s asked is, are they well.”

Regina shrugged, “I don’t care if they’re well, just that they’re alive. They’re your family, that’s the only thing that matters.”

“They are alive.”

“Good.”

Emma took off her coat and winced as the muscles in her thighs and her back pulled uncomfortably. She definitely liked cars better than horses. Phelan said that she was working on something, but it sucked that only Phelan, Henry, Regina, and herself had kept their memories from what Emma still thought of as the real world. “So, what was Walter... sorry, Sleepy, doing here?”

Regina rubbed circles on Emma’s back, “Well, since we’ve all been, back... he can’t sleep.”

Emma turned in Regina’s arms, “Are you kidding me?” Regina shook her head, “That sucks huh.”

“I gave him something, an herb. I think that it won’t help though.”

Emma frowned as she undid Regina’s pony tail. When they’d travelled back to Happily Ever After Regina’s hair had magically grown out again. The two of them had an only half serious debate over whether or not Regina should cut it again. Emma loved it long, Regina wanted it short again. “Why don’t you think your herbs will help?”

“He and Dopey were friends. With him gone...” Regina shrugged, “But, maybe he’s just having too much sugar before bed. I’m not the cricket.”

Emma smiled and led Regina over to the front window of their house. “Henry’s in his element. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy.”

Regina quirked an eyebrow, “Less Math to do I think...”

“Funny...”

Regina cut Emma off before she could continue rambling, “What is it. You found something out at the palace. Just tell me.”

“Snow is pregnant.”

Regina managed to keep her face devoid of emotion. “Fertile one, isn’t she.” Regina glanced out at Henry. “That’s why we’re watching my son play, so I do go all dark and...”

“...twisty.”

“You do know that I can tell when you’re quoting from a television show. I don’t know which one, but I know it was one. Em--, I’m fine.”

Emma glanced at Regina, “Yep, that’s why you’re saying you’re fine.”

“Em--”

Emma laid her hand by the side of the window, “It’s okay to be pissed, or jealous.”

Regina turned to Emma and gripped the blonde’s chin in her hand, “Emma, I’m not jealous, just preoccupied. Maleficent is gathering forces at the border. I think she aims to force me to send us all back. I’m trying to decide whether or not to lob a spell or two at them.”

“Oh, Snow and James’ll love that.”

Henry crashed through the door, “Hey Mom, Emma... I’m totally gonna be a... a...” He looked up at the two women. “What am I going to be?”

Regina sighed, “Ah, the Happily Ever After grapevine.”

Emma just smiled, “Let’s see, the boy or girl that Snow White has will be your.... Uncle or Aunt.”

“Oh...” Emma held back a chuckle, “Oh, I guess that’s cool.”

Regina pointed at Henry before he could speak again, “Do not say it young man.”

“But Mommmm... I mean, this is like, the land of dreams, and Fairy Tales and Happily Ever After. I won’t even say ewww... or anything. You could use a... a.. apple seed, or, or something.”

Emma squinted, as if trying to remember something. “I think that that’s been used. Just couldn’t tell you where. I think I read it...”

Henry frowned, then shrugged and was back out the door and playing with his friends again. “We could you know. As long as there has been magic there has been the magic to create life.”

Emma bit her lip and looked out the window, “I just, I don’t know.”

Regina nodded, “You don’t trust me.”

A staccato laugh erupted from Emma, “Are you kidding me Regina? You raised Henry to be the amazing young man he is, no... no, I don’t trust me.”

“Oh.” Regina pulled Emma closer. “For now... let’s just live...” Regina glanced out the window, “And you can help me figure out if we should lob some spells at Maleficient... Sheriff.”


End file.
